‘Disgruntled and disappointed’ – Trainers and owners left out of pocket from Gold Coast track debacle
Trainers and owners involved in Saturday’s feature $2 million Gold Coast race meeting have been left out of pocket with Racing Queensland knocking back a suggestion that they be compensated for the sub-par racing surface.
The Gold Coast turf track, which was only re-opened in January after a major reconstruction, was highly criticised for the way it raced during Saturday’s Jewel meeting, with significant kickback making it impossible for those horses racing back in the field to make ground.
The track had undergone sandgrooving since it hosted the Magic Millions meeting in January and that, combined with the fact the grass was cut short, meant for a troubled surface when the track was tested under race conditions.
The Straight has been told that there was a difference of opinion between Gold Coast Turf Club and Racing Queensland over how the renovation process should be handled with Racing Queensland winning out.
Track manager Nevesh Ramdhani had said nine days out from the meeting that the track was “looking fantastic and had some good recovery over the past few weeks”.
He did concede that the recovery from the sandgrooving had been slower than anticipated until mid-February “partly due to climatic conditions”.
However, trainers and other participants had raised major misgivings about the quality of the surface in the week leading up to the $2 million raceday, with suggestions the race meeting be moved to Doomben.
But given the meeting was staged to coincide with the Magic Millions March Yearling Sale and was a feature raceday at the newly renovated track, the GCTC and RQ proceeded as planned.
Complaints from jockeys and trainers that the surface would make competitive racing difficult flowed from the first race. The margins between horses in the race were spread, indicating many horses simply didn’t handle the conditions.
There was an overwhelming sense from those parties spoken to by The Straight that the meeting should not have been staged on the track in the first place.
The Thoroughbred Alliance, a representative body of owners, breeders, jockeys and trainers, met to discuss the issue on Monday morning and asked Racing Queensland if it could waive the $3000 entry fee paid by horses who finished further back than 10th in the feature Aquis Jewel as well as the other feature races.
In a message to its members, obtained by The Straight, the Thoroughbred Alliance outlined its concerns “with the running of such a showcase meeting on a far from satisfactory track”.
“We requested RQ strongly consider some compensation for connections of horses that finished outside the prize-money cutoff (11th or worse) in the feature races, as a minimum,” the letter read.
“These horses who didn’t earn money, will now face the $3000, $900 or $750 feature acceptance fee invoice. At least the other competitors who finished 1st-10th receive prize-money to cover this.
“There was approx 14 horses/connections on the day completely disgruntled and disappointed and now with a significant cost to pay to add to the pain.”
The letter said the Alliance appreciated there was pressure on Racing Queensland to handle the situation, but its members were deserving of some compensation.
“Unfortunately RQ have knocked back our request to waive the feature races fees, which although disappointing we acknowledge was a difficult decision taking into account precedents etc,” the letter read.
“There was approx 14 horses/connections on the day completely disgruntled and disappointed and now with a significant cost to pay to add to the pain.”
The meeting scheduled for Saturday March 23 on the turf track has been moved onto the polytrack, with a view that racing back on the turf will resume ahead of the feature Hollindale Stakes meeting at the Gold Coast on May 11.
The Gold Coast track troubles stir up some difficult memories for Queensland racing participants, who had to endure the trouble redevelopment of Eagle Farm racecourse.
Jessica Owers
Author
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